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Maurice BlanchotFrench writer, thinker and essayist.
Date of Birth: 22.09.1907
Country:  France |
Content:
Biography of Maurice Blanchot
Maurice Blanchot was a French writer and essayist. He was born in the town of Quain in the department of Saône-et-Loire. He graduated from the University of Strasbourg, and later obtained a second degree from the Sorbonne. Blanchot worked as a journalist and editor. Before the Second World War, he sympathized with the Nazis, writing anti-Semitic articles and calling for the overthrow of the Blum government.
In 1940, after Germany's invasion of France, Blanchot renounced his national-socialist beliefs and joined the resistance against the Nazis. He actively participated in the Resistance Movement and even collaborated with the Communists. In the mid-1940s, he completely withdrew from politics and devoted himself to literature. Towards the end of the war, he published two novels and two literary studies.
In 1946, Blanchot left Paris and settled in the town of Éze in the French Alps. He passed away in February 2003 at the age of 95. His death was peaceful and mysterious. Despite being a globally renowned thinker, he left no will or any other instructions regarding his creative legacy.
Blanchot's creative journey began during the years of the Second World War with the novels "Dark Thomas" (1941, second edition 1950) and "Aminadab" (1942). Later on, Blanchot focused on writing novellas such as "At the Moment of Death" (1948), "In the Desired Moment" (1951), "The Last Man" (1957), among others. During this time, he also commenced his career as a critic and essayist. His numerous articles were compiled in the book "Lotrémont and the Garden" (1949) and "Doomed to Fire" (1949).
From Kafka to Kafka: Maurice Blanchot
From the 1970s onwards, Blanchot mainly produced works of mixed genres, consisting of diverse artistic and philosophical fragments. His notable works include "The Step Beyond" (1973) and collections of reflections on the literary avant-garde from the 18th to the 20th centuries, such as "Space of Literature" (1955), "The Infinite Conversation" (1969), "Friendship" (1971), and "The Writing of Disaster" (1980). These works had a significant impact on the theory and practice of structuralism and the "nouveau roman."
